Ariz. governor's race turns into mudslinging

February 19, 1991|By Arizona Republic

PHOENIX -- It began, as political campaigns often do, with talk of lofty issues: of providing an uplifting vision for the state's future, of educating Arizona schoolchildren in the best possible environments, of caring for the elderly and, above all, of accomplishing all this without raising taxes.

With just a week remaining before the Feb. 26 runoff to elect a new Arizona governor, the campaign between Republican Fife Symington and Democrat Terry Goddard has deteriorated into a mudslinging contest, complete with negative TV ads, charges of "smear" campaigning and cries of foul from both sides.

"I am totally disgusted with you both," one woman caller told Mr. Goddard during his recent appearance on a radio talk show.

Apparently, others share her view.

An Arizona Republic poll last week reported a small rise in the number of registered voters statewide who said they would vote for neither candidate or who don't know which candidate to endorse.

Sixteen percent registered such sentiment in the survey, which was conducted Feb. 9-11, compared with 13 percent a month ago.

Registered Republicans outnumber Democrats by 91,000 out of almost 1.9 million eligible voters in Arizona.

How the campaign degenerated from lofty goals to "dirty tricks," as one Symington TV ad charges, depends on which candidate is talking.

Mr. Symington maintains that, despite his intention to run an issue-oriented race, Mr. Goddard dragged him into the mud with a smear campaign aimed at him and his family.

Mr. Goddard, meanwhile, faults Mr. Symington for distorting Mr. Goddard's record in his former job as mayor of Phoenix while shielding from public scrutiny his self-proclaimed record as a successful businessman.

The candidates have held "dueling press conferences" -- called hours apart to dispute allegations and to make new ones.